Chemical thinning of apples

TWO important related problems of apple-growing in this State are biennial bearing and poor fruit size. Early thinning by chemical means, is providing a valuable and practical means of tackling these problems. With every prospect of heavy crops in most districts this year, many growers will be interested in the possibility of spray thinning

Latest recommendations for chemical thinning : an aid to apple crop regulation

FIELD trials and experience have shown that chemical thinning is a valuable aid to crop regulation in apple trees

Fertiliser recommendations for citrus : detailed fertilizer programmes for citrus growers

CITRUS growers should adopt a well balanced fertiliser programme to safeguard tree health, cropping and fruit quality. While moderate dressings are a wise insurance in most situations the rates required vary with tree age and soil type. The recommendations are given in detail in the tables in this article

Fertiliser recommendations for apple trees

THE increased use of irrigation and chemical thinning in apple orchards and the planting of trees in light soils have resulted in responses to regular fertiliser dressings

The control of bitter pit in apples

Bitter pit is a physiological disorder of apples which causes considerable wastage of otherwise sound fruit . It is a problem of world-wide occurrence and in Western Australia growing conditions appear particularly favourable for its development. In recent years a practical means of control by calcium sprays has been developed

Confirmatory factor analysis of Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (CORE-OM) used as a measure of emotional distress in people with tinnitus

BACKGROUND: People with troublesome tinnitus often experience emotional distress. Therefore a psychometrically sound instrument which can evaluate levels of distress and change over time is necessary to understand this experience. Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (CORE-OM) is a measure of emotional distress which has been widely used in mental health research. Although originally designed as a 4-factor questionnaire, factor analyses have not supported this structure and a number of alternative factor structures have been proposed in different samples. The aims of this study were to test the factor structure of the CORE-OM using a large representative tinnitus sample and to use it to investigate levels of emotional distress amongst people with a range of tinnitus experience. METHODS: The CORE-OM was completed by 342 people experiencing tinnitus who self-rated their tinnitus on a 5-point scale from ‘not a problem’ to ‘a very big problem’. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test all ten factor models which have been previously derived across a range of population samples. Model fit was assessed using fit criterion and theoretical considerations. Mean scores on the full questionnaire and its subscales were compared between tinnitus problem categories using one-way ANOVA. RESULTS: The best fitting model included 33 of the 34 original items and was divided into three factors: negatively worded items, positively worded items and risk. The full questionnaire and each factor were found to have good internal consistency and factor loadings were high. There was a statistically significant difference in total CORE-OM scores across the five tinnitus problem categories. However there was no significant difference between those who rated their tinnitus ‘not a problem’, and ‘a small problem’ or ‘a moderate problem.’ CONCLUSION: This study found a 3-factor structure for the CORE-OM to be a good fit for a tinnitus population. It also found evidence of a relationship between emotional distress as measured by CORE-OM and perception of tinnitus as a problem. Its use in tinnitus clinics is to be recommended, particularly when emotional distress is a target of therapy. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12955-016-0524-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Retreating to nature : rethinking 'therapeutic landscapes'

There is a long history of removing oneself from ‘society’ in order to recuperate or repair. This paper considers a yoga and massage retreat in Southern Spain, and what opportunities this retreat experience might offer for recuperation and the creation of healthy bodies. The paper positions ‘nature’ as an active participant, and as ‘enrolled’ in the experiences of the retreat as a ‘therapeutic landscape’, and questions how and what particular aspects of yoga practice (in intimate relation with place) give rise to therapeutic experiences